The Twitter Power Grid - More Sports

Posted: Thursday July 14, 2011 11:40AM ; Updated: Thursday July 14, 2011 12:10PM

The Twitter Power Grid

We asked a cross-section of the most interesting sports figures on Twitter about their habits and experience with the microblogging service. Here's how they responded.

The Respondents

Joshua Cribbs
Wide receiver, Cleveland Browns \| Member since July 22, 2009
Follow @JoshCribbs16

Dara Torres
Five-time Olympic swimmer \| Member since March 29, 2009
Follow @daratorresswims

Mark Cuban
Owner, Dallas Mavericks \| Member since September 10, 2008
Follow @mcuban

C.J. Wilson
Starting pitcher, Texas Rangers \| Member since February 3, 2009
Follow @str8edgeracer

Bethanie Mattek-Sands
Top-ranked U.S. tennis player \| Member since February 1, 2010
Follow @BMATTEK

How often do you check Twitter?

CRIBBS
Every 10 minutes.

TORRES
Four to five times a day.

CUBAN
Once or twice a day.

WILSON
Whenever the red light blinks on my phone.

MATTEK-SANDS
Depends; I'm an extremist so either a few times a day or not at all.

What do you tweet with?

CRIBBS
iPhone.

TORRES
Phone.

CUBAN
Whatever device I have handy.

WILSON
My BlackBerry and TweetDeck on my Mac.

MATTEK-SANDS
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play.

Who introduced you to Twitter?

CRIBBS
My wife.

TORRES
Rowdy Gaines.

CUBAN
I stay up on tech, so I found it reading tech articles.

WILSON
I don't actually remember who introduced me to Twitter but I didn't sign up right away until I figured out what I'd want to say.

MATTEK-SANDS
I just jumped on the bandwagon.

Do you respond to people you don't know?

CRIBBS
All the time.

TORRES
I always try to respond. Sometimes I get too many responses and can't, but I find that followers enjoy getting a response.

CUBAN
Sometimes, if it's something I found interesting or funny.

WILSON
I respond to pretty much anyone witty and block haters. No time for negative fools online.

MATTEK-SANDS
If they write something nice, but if not at least write something witty.

Your "A-Ha!" moment when you realized Twitter wasn't just a silly time-killer

CRIBBS
When I was going through my contract negotiations and I tweeted where I was going to be eating breakfast and before I got there a couple of news stations were already there waiting to interview me.

TORRES
When I met the beautiful Queen Rania from Jordan at Zenergy Gym in Sun Valley, Idaho last summer and she asked me if I was on Twitter so we could correspond.

CUBAN
When tech media started picking up tweets from industry people.

WILSON
Using Twitter for a few months in spring training and during the season got me about another 100 attendees to my charity event that summer, so it was a very direct impact.

MATTEK-SANDS
I still have yet to reach that moment.

Three people I follow in my sport

CRIBBS
Ray Rice, Chris Johnson and Vernon Davis.

TORRES
Michael Phelps (why wouldn't I!), teammate Julie Stupp and USA Swimming.

CUBAN
@shredd74, @bigalpumpy and @swish41.

WILSON
I follow Logan Morrison for a few laughs and in racing I follow tons of racers to keep on track with all the racing series that I miss during the season. Most baseball players are a bit boring online because we're not allowed to be controversially opinionated or drop real slang.

MATTEK-SANDS
Sania Mirza, Gisela Dulko, Sloane Stevens.

Three people you wouldn't think I'd follow

CRIBBS
Rosario Dawson, Will Ferrell and Lil Kim.

TORRES
Queen Rania, Mike Bloomberg and Norah O'Donnell.

CUBAN
@justinbeiber, @lindsaylohan and @charliesheen.

WILSON
@physorg_com (my tattoo artist), @lukewessman and @xhossx (my chef).

MATTEK-SANDS
The Rock, Travis Pastrana and P!nk (though I don't know if anyone's surprised at that).

I wish ________ was on Twitter

CRIBBS
Bill Clinton.

TORRES
Gene Hackman.

CUBAN
David Stern.

WILSON
I don't wish anyone else was on Twitter. I follow enough people as is.

MATTEK-SANDS
Isn't everybody on?

________ doesn't tweet enough

CRIBBS
Ray Lewis.

TORRES
Queen Rania.

CUBAN
@SHAQ.

WILSON
Not sure.

MATTEK-SANDS
Me! I end up reading more than writing.

Athlete from history I wish could have been on Twitter

CRIBBS
Deion Sanders in his prime. Can you imagine what he would have tweeted?

TORRES
Babe Ruth.

CUBAN
@MickeyMantle.

WILSON
For sure Ty Cobb would have been the worst/most cussy of any player.

MATTEK-SANDS
Bart Starr.

Last time I got into a Twitter feud

CRIBBS
NBA All-Star weekend. I tweeted a pic of LeBron during the game and most of Cleveland was furious with me and told me to be closet friends with him.

TORRES
When Patrick Swayze died. I said I wish he hadn't smoked while he was going through chemo and peeps got HACKED at me! (But it's only because he said he wanted to do everything he could to beat the cancer!)

CUBAN
I got into a baby brawl with Buzz Bissinger. I don't remember about what.

WILSON
Never.

MATTEK-SANDS
I think last week. Some people talk too much smack.